From Afar
by Katraa
Summary: What could a grocery store and a restaurant possibly have in common? Riku, that was what, and no matter how hard Sora tried, he couldn’t keep away from the mysterious beauty. :rikusora:


**for:** jean and kuraii  
**rating: t  
note:** i love this. it's so based off some things that happened in real life. enjoy

**From Afar**

**I**t was Saturday—Sora Kayaki preferred to sleep in on the weekends, just like any other high school student. If Sora had it _his_ way he would sleep the whole duration of the weekend. Maybe a few breaks to go online, but all in all, he preferred sleep. Of course, Sora's mother had other plans. The forty year old woman was stuck in her ways and continuously dragged her lazy seventeen year old son's ass out of bed at promptly eight ever Saturday morning. Sora didn't bother setting his alarm—his mother had an internal clock and it was guaranteed that she would wake him at eight oh one every Saturday. Basically, Sora never got the chance to be languid and sloth around the house all the day. No, his mother made sure that she heaved him out of the house. To do what? Well, to grocery shop, of course.

"I don't see why you can't go without me," Sora mumbled as he rubbed his tired eyes. The brunet hadn't bothered to comb his hair or brush his teeth. He just got out of bed, threw on a pair of baggy pants and a new t-shirt and then proceeded to drag his lethargic being down to the minivan. His little sister was already there, blissfully clapping her hands. Sora didn't get the 'I like shopping' gene—his little sister did.

"Because we're a family and families do things _together_," his mother answered, putting emphasis on the last word. She swung her body into the driver's seat and started up the old red van. Her eyes glued to the driver's mirror, watching her children with affection. "Selphie, don't play with Sora's hair, please."

Selphie pouted and let go of her brother's hair. Sora grumbled a gracious thanks to his mom and shifted in his seat. He was usually a jovial person, really, but he definitely _wasn't_ a morning person. And eight in the morning was far too early to go shopping. By the time they got to the store it'd be nine and Sora could have done _so_ much at home in that wasted time. Oh well.

"Why can't you and Selphie go alone?" Sora wondered as he folded his arms to his chest. The brunet's bottom lip puffed out. A pout. Both siblings tended to demonstrate the same traits and habits. Pouting, for example, was something they both were highly likely to do to get their way. Sadly, it usually didn't work.

Sora's mother gave a groan as she pulled out of the driveway. Her brown hair covered her eyes, concealing the annoyed glimmer in her bright blue eyes. "Sora. I just got finished telling you. We're a family. Besides, you live in this house as well. You need to pick out what you want to eat."

"But you know what I like," argued Sora as he closed his tired eyes that mirrored his mother's. "You know I hate shopping, mom," he groaned in addition.

"I don't like it either," his mother pointed out as her hands tightened on the steering wheel, "but sometimes you've got to do things you don't like to survive. You'll understand that sooner or later. If you want something good you've just got to go out and get it. Like food, for example."

"But I have you!" Sora suggested with a cheesy smile. His eyes opened hopefully as he leaned expectantly in the backseat, the seatbelt restricting him from going too far. "Can't you get it for me? Pretty please?"

"Sora," his mother said again. She tended to say his name a lot when she was upset. "We're already halfway there. Please, don't give me a headache. Just be quiet and enjoy the ride."

Sora huffed to himself and sat back in his seat. His eyes slipped shut again. _Denied_, his mind said humorously. Mother and son had had this argument countless times before this event. Each time, sadly, his mother prevailed and Sora was the sore loser.

Honestly, Sora saw nothing exciting about grocery shopping. You picked out your veggies, your meats, your snacks and then you were done. There was no excitement and no change. The brunet cringed just thinking about the wasted hours they would spend at the store. Selphie was indecisive so, obviously, they spent many unnecessary extra hours there with her, waiting for her to make up her mind. Of course, Sora's mother often allowed Sora to wander about the store by himself to pick up anything he wanted. That was a plus, Sora noted mentally.

"Sora," Selphie said in her childish voice, poking her older brother in the arm. Her playful, big brown eyes stared over at him, as if trying to gauge his reaction that would proceed.

"Hm?" Sora looked over to Selphie and cocked a brow. He doubted anything she was going to say would be all that important. What could an eight year old possibly say that was _important_? Regardless, he gave the impression he was listening as he gently made a motion with his hand for her to continue.

"Mama says that you and Kairi are dating," Selphie stated, a childish giggle following as she smirked evily over at her brother.

Sora paled. "Mom!" he stuttered.

"What? I didn't tell her that," Sora's mom answered with a motherly look. She smiled into the rear-view mirror as she drove along. Her eyes sparkled as she watched Sora's face turn eighteen shades darker. Only a face a mother could love.

"Sora has a girlfriend!" Selphie sang, sticking her tongue out. "Have you kissed her yet, hm?"

"M-mom!" Sora reiterated, hiding his face in his hands.

"Well, have you?" Sora's mother pried.

Sora gulped. He hated being the only male in the family. Well, besides the cat, anyway. It had always been that way since he was little. His dad got a divorce when he was young and left town. The last time Sora saw him was well over two years ago. He didn't mind, though, considering he spoke to him once a month on the phone. Besides, he loved living with his mom, despite her quirks and teasing. She was truly an award winning woman, even at her worst. But, it was moments like these, that the brunet teenager despised being in a car with the two females.

"No, I haven't kissed her," the teenager finally answered, his hands dropping into his lap. "And no, we're not dating. We're just best friends, okay? Just because she's pretty doesn't mean I want to go out with her!"

His mother stifled a laugh. "That's what they all say."

"No, really!" Sora quipped, holding his head. "We're best friends! It'd be like dating my sister!" To emphasize his point, he gestured to Selphie.

"Ew!" the brunette interjected, dramatically leaning far away from Sora. Selphie then broke into a fit of giggles and returned to happily staring out the window. It was so easy to entertain the nine year old, especially when it came to 'love'. She had such a trivial outlook on it. Then again, she _was_ young.

"Are you asking her to prom?" Sophie, Sora's mom, questioned, peering at her son again through the tiny mirror.

"I don't know," Sora admitted, licking his lips. "If no one else asks me, then yeah. I'll ask her as friends. That is, unless Tidus asks her first. He has this huge crush on her. He doesn't shut up about how much he thinks he loves her. It's kind of sick. I mean, she's great and all, but I don't want to hear my best friend talked about as if she's some sort of movie star or something."

"Then perhaps you should ask her first," Sophie pointed out. She paused and then drew in a nostalgic breath. "Prom…that brings back so many good memories."

"Are they PG rated?" Sora dared.

"Sora," Sophie quipped sternly, sending him a warning stare in the mirror. "Why wouldn't they be?"

And Sora knew that was code for, 'no, they're not, but I'm not going to discuss this in front of my innocent daughter. I'll tell you later if you really want to know. Just not now, okay?' The brunet had become a master at reading his mother's stares over the years. Her eyes were bright and cheerful, like his, but also held an array of emotions and words.

"Good point," Sora finally answered, smiling back at his mom. "Can I wander around the store aimlessly when we get there? I want to see if they have that blueberry Arizona green tea."

"Sure. Just don't take too long. I want to go down the aisles together so we can pick out dinner for the week," Sora's mother answered simply, pulling into the parking lot of the grocery store. She quickly parked the van and tugged the keys out of the ignition. "Well, let's go," she hummed, opening the car door and stepping outside.

"Coming!" Selphie hummed. The young girl threw open the car door and jumped out. Thankfully there wasn't a car parked on either side of the large van.

Sora slipped out of the car safely and closed his and Selphie's door behind him. He followed his family into the grocery store, hanging his head low. It was such a dreary day. Overcast was probably the cause, he deduced. Regardless, the brunet wasn't in that high of spirits, not after realizing that he was more than likely going to end up dateless for prom. That was always a downer.

When the trio entered the store, a plethora of smells entered Sora's senses. Bread, meat, chips, cakes…the list went on and on. Sophie and Selphie disappeared into the heart of the store, headed towards the produce and deli. Sora, on the other hand, hung a left and began walking down the main stretch of the store. The teen slipped between clusters of wandering customers, attempting to get over to the frozen food isles. After all, that was the general area they kept his tea. However, in his journeys, the brunet passed by the meat counter. And he nearly tripped over his own feet (which wasn't uncommon with Sora).

The brunet stood there in complete awe. Behind the counter was probably the most beautiful _guy_ he had ever laid eyes on before. Captivating aquamarine eyes locked with his for a split second before moving away and towards the customer at the counter. Silver, thin, sinewy hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail, covered by a white butcher cap. He wore the customary white jacket and smiled dashingly at the customer. He seemed about Sora's age, and judging by the fact that there were other guys behind the counter, he also seemed to be an assistant butcher.

"Sora, whatcha staring at?" Selphie asked, seemingly coming out of nowhere. The young girl tugged on her brother's sleeve, stealing his attention.

"Huh?" Sora quickly looked down to his sister. A light blush was painted on his face and he did his best to push it aside. "Oh, nothing. Just zoning out," he explained calmly. "Where's mom? I thought you guys were at the deli…" He trailed off.

"Mom wanted to know if you wanted turkey or ham," Selphie explained, smiling happily up at her brother. "I told her you wanted ham, but she wouldn't believe me. You did want ham, right Sora?"

"Yeah, ham," the brunet answered, eyes drifting over his shoulder to the silveret behind the counter. Damn. His body was as sinful as his face. Sora quickly averted his gaze. "Tell her just a bit. I don't want that much, mmkay?"

"Can do!" Selphie chirped. And with that, she departed.

Sora sighed and glanced shyly back to the meat counter. His blue gaze danced over to the worker again. The male seemed to float about, handing off packaged meats to the hungry, carnivorous customers. And if he was a poet, he probably would have likened the other teenager to a car crash. It was just so hard to look away from even though you knew you shouldn't be gawking. Yet, the brunet couldn't help but stare.

"Excuse me," a random man stated, pushing past Sora with a carriage.

Sora, who was too busy staring, lost his balance and fell headfirst into a display of wheat thins. The brunet yelped in surprise and quickly captured his composure before he gained too much attention. Only a few boxes had fallen during his act of inelegance. He straightened himself, fixing his shirt, before daring to look around. A few people had stopped to stare at him. However, when they noticed he had looked their way, they quickly returned to their own business.

"You okay?"

Sora jumped up a bit, startled by the sudden question. His head turned quickly to the right and met a stoic gaze. The brunet nodded briefly and then paused. The man appeared to be one of the senior butchers. "I'm all right," the brunet interjected quickly, beginning to collect the fallen boxers from the ground with a blush.

"That was quite the fall," the seemingly old man chuckled, placing a hand onto the youth's shoulder. "You sure you're okay?" His hard stare morphed into a soft one almost instantly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sora assured him quickly, offering a bashful smile.

"Well, at least you fell into health food," the jolly man joked as his hand slipped off Sora's shoulder. He chuckled deeply.

"Hah…yeah," Sora began.

"Hey boss," a voice cut in, wandering over to the pair. "Don't mean to interrupt, but what's the price for the top round roast this week? Two ninety-nine for a pound, right?"

Sora lifted his gaze as his heart stopped beating. He hated irony. A dark blush appeared on Sora's face. The Adonis had ironically wandered over to them. Over to where _Sora_ was. The brunet nervously shoved the box of wheat thins he was holding onto the shelf. "T-thanks," Sora interposed quickly, looking to the older man.

"You're welcome," the man laughed, shaking his head.

Sora quickly scampered away, not daring to look back and meet the silveret's gaze. He was too beautiful for that. His stomach plummeted and once he was at a safe distance, at the green tea, he stopped to breathe. He was such an _idiot_. First he fell into a shelf full of wheat thins _then_ he stupidly ran off when the most beautiful creature in the world was speaking. God damn, what was with him? Sora groaned and dragged the galleon of tea off the shelf. What a way to start April, he decided meekly as he trudged back to his mom and sister.

What a way, indeed.

xXx • xXx

**T**he next Saturday, Sora was actually _excited_ about going grocery shopping. For once in his life, he didn't complain nor beg his mother to stay home. He had piled into the family van silently, without a single word otherwise. Sure, his mother had been suspicious, but she simply shrugged it off. Sora was a teenager, she wasn't supposed to understand him anyway, she figured. Either way when Sora and his family arrived at the local grocery store, Sora stuck close. He wasn't really in the mood to make a fool of himself again by falling into displays, so he decided that staying with his mother was the better choice. That way, if he did fall, his mother could distract the crowd. She was good for that.

Sora's mom finally ended up at the butcher counter halfway through the shopping. Selphie was nearby, looking at a display of animal crackers with intense interest. Sora, on the other hand, stuck close to Sophie, shyly peering around his mother. He spotted the gorgeous butcher and cursed himself. He needed to stop acting like a hormonal teenager. Hell, he was acting like a _girl_ for god's sakes.

"So, up for some roast beef this week?" Sophie asked as she slipped on her black glasses. She peered down at her list and tapped it thoughtfully with a capped pen.

"Sure, why not," Sora answered, dragging his feet along. He wasn't entirely sure if he even had the guts to speak to the silveret. He doubted he did. He could just admire from afar. That was, really, all he was good for when it came to relationships.

Sophie nodded and pushed the carriage up to the counter. She gave the service bell a gentle tap. The old man from the week before ambled over to his mother, smiling just as jovially as the time before. Sora made a mental note about this.

"Hi, can I have an approximately three pound bottom round roast?" Sophie questioned, staring at the displayed meat with indecision.

"Of course," the man responded gruffly, opening the case from behind.

Sora's gaze wandered away from his mother and over the counter. The silveret was packaging meat in the far corner. It didn't take long for Sora to realize that his complexion was extremely pale. It almost looked like porcelain, to be exact. His cheekbones were defined, but not to the point of sticking out. Either he was the son of a god, or he was a model. Sora wasn't sure which it was, but it didn't really matter.

"Hey, Riku," the old man that was waiting on Sora's mother called, "can you snag mea third pound bottom round from the rack?"

"Can do," hummed the silveret. His gaze danced over to Sophie and he smiled softly. The teenager meandered silently through the maze of counters and grabbed an already packaged container of meat. "This one was measured earlier. Almost three pounds exactly." He walked over and placed it on the counter.

"Now that looks like a fine piece of meat," Sora's mother cooed, inspecting it. A smile graced her lips. Approved.

_Yeah, but not as nice as him…_Sora mentally smacked himself for the statement. The brunet gulped and kept his gaze low. This was so embarrassing. He just hoped that his mother didn't go off on a tangent about something completely irrelevant. She had a tendency of doing that.

"You look awfully young," she stated, glancing over to the teenager dubbed 'Riku'. Her smile never once faded.

The silveret chuckled heavenly. "Yeah. Eighteen."

"You go to school?" she questioned, placing the roast in the carriage. She was a social butterfly, unlike her introverted son.

"College," Riku answered nonchalantly, a beautiful smile grazing his features.

"Nice," she complimented. "Sora here has a year left," she chuckled, looking to her son adoringly. She gently wrapped an arm around his shoulders and proceeded to say, "What college are you currently attending? We've been searching for a good arts one in the area."

"Really?" Riku questioned, eyebrows arching. "I'm majoring in art," he stated, laughing at the irony. "I go to Ashton's. It's half an hour from here," he explained. "It's a nice school, nice community. Love it a lot."

"You should check into that, Sora," Sophie stated, looking to her son.

Sora blushed hotly. Not only was his mother talking to the beautiful god _but_ she was talking to him about _him_, _Sora_, as well! And she was clinging on him! The brunet mentally groaned at the situation. He probably looked like a mama's boy, despite the fact that he partially was. Oh well. Riku was still fun to stare at it.

"Well, thanks again for your time," Sora's mother hummed, dropping her arm from around Sora. The older butcher and Riku both smiled and answered politely before going back to their jobs.

That was, by far, _embarrassing_. Sora hung his head a bit low as the trio stalked away to continue shopping.

xXx • xXx

**S**ora's gaze hardened, just a fraction, when he realized that Tidus' hand was gently covering Kairi's. His blue eyes widened when he realized that Kairi was pulling away. Why wasn't she falling into his arms? She had told Sora that she had the _largest_ crush ever on the blitz ball player, so why wasn't she jumping at the chance to hold his hand? The brunet continued staring in disbelief from the other side of the hallway. Tidus was saying something and Kairi was shaking her head, looking a bit distraught. Her red bangs covered her eyes, and even from this distance, Sora recognized _that_ look. She was holding back her tears, her disappointment. After a moment, the girl pulled away and walked away from the blonde, her gaze glued to the floor.

"Kairi," Sora called, jostling his way over to his friend. The school hallways were always a crowded place and it was rare that one did not have to push and shove to get across it. "Kairi! What's wrong?"

Kairi lifted her gaze upon hearing her name. The girl's sparkling, wet eyes met Sora's and she quickly averted her gaze. "Hi Sora," she greeted quietly. Her voice was frail and shaky. "How are you?"

Sora frowned. "I'm fine, but what about you?" he questioned, looking at her with concern. "I…saw you talking to Tidus," he began honestly, "what happened?"

"He told me that he couldn't go to prom with me," the redhead murmured as she bit her lip. "He told me that he was going with Naminé. He said he was really sorry and that he still wanted to go on our date this Saturday. I told him no. I told him to just forget about it. Sora, how could he do something like that to me?"

Sora frowned. "Kairi…I don't know. I don't know how anyone could possibly do that to you. You're such a great person," he said softly. "He doesn't deserve you."

The red-head sighed. "Sometimes I wonder if I wasn't the one who deserved him," she murmured, hunching her shoulders as they walked.

"Don't say that. Kairi, you're amazing," Sora interjected stubbornly. "Just because Tidus is a man-whore doesn't mean that you're worthless. You're beyond worth," the brunet explained and gently placed his hand onto his friend's shoulder. "Would anything cheer you up?"

Kairi finally glanced back to her friend. She pondered for a moment. "How about going to dinner tonight? Mom and Dad are working and I don't want to cook," she explained. She smiled gently and then went on to say, "We can split the bill fifty-fifty."

"Sounds good to me," Sora laughed. "I doubt my mom will object."

"Great," Kairi answered and then laughed quietly. "Why are you such an amazing friend, Sora?"

Sora shrugged, blushing softly at the words. "Dunno…"

Kairi stopped in front of a classroom. She rubbed her eyes and cleared her throat, finally having regained her composure. "So I'll see you after school?" she suggested, tilting her head. "You're driving, right?"

"Yeah. Just walk over to my place and I'll drive us to dinner," Sora agreed.

"Thanks." She grinned and then departed into her classroom.

And Sora knew the perfect place. He hadn't been to that small restaurant in _ages_. Perhaps bringing Kairi there, to their childhood favorite place to eat, would brighten her dreary moods? The brunet could only hope.

xXx • xXx

"**I** love this place," Kairi laughed as they were seated in the far corner. The red haired teenager carefully took her seat in the booth and placed her purse beside her. She was significantly happier than earlier that day. A smile was now on her face as she picked up a menu and began reading over it. The smile never once faltered.

"I'm glad," Sora laughed and picked up his own menu. "I'm glad I could cheer you up, some."

"Yeah," Kairi agreed with another laugh. "Man, I can't believe I got so upset over a dumb guy like Tidus." She sighed and glanced over at Sora. "Then again, that's just human nature. To be upset over rejection."

"Very good point," Sora concurred. Brown bangs fell in his eyes as he began reading over the menu. Hm…Italian food. He hadn't had a good, authentic Italian dish in ages. He scrunched his nose up a bit in indecision. But what pasta dish? They all sounded so delicious! And choosing was probably going to take awhile. He was awfully indecisive.

"Hi, welcome to Charlie's," the waiter said, wandering over. The male began placing coasters onto the table along with silverware. "Have either of you been here before?"

Sora tore his gaze off his menu to glance politely up at the man. His breath hitched and he proceeded to gulp. _It's that…really hot guy from the grocery store. Oh god…_ He gulped a second time and quickly glanced back down at his menu with a shake of his head. That was a yes. Kairi nodded as well and the waiter smiled brilliantly at them.

"Ah, that's good," he stated with a soft smirk. He gently tapped his notepad before asking, "Can I start you off with some drinks?"

"Raspberry lemonade for me," Kairi stated, looking up to the silveret with a smile.

"And for you?" Riku looked over to Sora but then paused. He held his tongue despite the fact that it was quite obvious that he desired to say more.

"Pepsi's fine," Sora mumbled quickly.

"All right. I'll go get those drinks," Riku hummed. He turned and began walking away from the table, looking just as graceful as ever. His hair was still pulled back and Sora found himself aimlessly wondering what it looked like down. Of all the three times he had seen Riku, it had always been up. It probably looked even more amazing down.

"I'll be right back. I'm going to freshen up," Kairi stated. She got up from the booth and departed from the table wordlessly.

Sora sighed and looked back down at the menu. He had finally decided on a meal—chicken alfredo. However, now a whole new problem was plaguing his mind. He just_ had_ to get the hot waiter. The brunet mumbled something under his breath as he mentally smacked himself. _He doesn't even know my name. I've seen him three times! And I've never spoken to him except for just now! Ugh. I need to learn to control my hormones. Especially around guys…I don't want to tangle with someone who's homophobic. That would be a _bad_ situation._

"You're that guy."

Sora nearly jolted out of his seat from the unexpected voice. His heart clung in his throat briefly before he dared to look to the speaker. His frantic blue eyes softened the slightest when he realized that it was just Riku. And oh crap, Riku was _talking_ directly to him. His nerves began growing again as he stared shyly at the waiter as he placed the two drinks onto the table. He was standing there, expecting an answer.

"That guy?" Sora repeated, doing his best not to let his nerves get to him. He was just talking to a stranger, that was all.

"Yeah," Riku laughed heavenly, leaning against the table. "You know, from Stop and Shop. The one who fell into the wheat-thins."

Sora's face scorched darkly. "Yeah, that's me…" he mumbled embarrassedly, averting his gaze. "Sorry about that, again. I kind of just lost my balance. Tripped on something, I think." _Tripped on your beauty, actually_.

"Happens all the time," Riku answered, writing it off. "So, what's your name? I'm Riku, by the way."

"Sora," the brunet answered quietly. He offered a smile and looked up at the other. His hands flexed nervously in his lap under the table, sweating profusely. "I'm surprised you have two jobs," he stated quickly, "I don't even have one."

"Parents won't buy me a car," Riku explained. "They said I have to pay for it myself. So, when I'm not at college, I'm either here or at Stop and Shop. It kind of sucks, but eh." He paused, silver hair framing his face gorgeously. "Your mom is that crazy one who always talks to Gus, right?"

"Gus…the butcher?" Sora suggested, blinking curiously.

"Yeah. He's pretty kick ass," Riku chuckled, nodding. "So I take it she's the one, hm?" Sora nodded. "She seems sweet. You're lucky to have such a nice mom."

"You'd be surprised," Sora snorted humorously. His nerves were slowly dissolving as he glanced around the restaurant. Most of the tables were empty. Good, so he wasn't keeping Riku from work, that was always good.

"So, that girl," Riku began, motioning to the empty seat where the lemonade was residing, "is she your girlfriend?"

"No," Sora answered a bit too quickly. He blushed. "I _mean_, no. She's like my sister. We've known each other since birth, practically. It'd be so awkward to date."

"Ah, I know what you mean," Riku agreed and smiled again at Sora. "So, Sora," he stated, testing out the other's name, "Have you decided what you want?"

Sora choked on his own spit. "E-excuse me?" he squeaked.

Riku cocked a brow confusedly. "For dinner?"

The color drained from Sora's face. "O-oh…_Oh_. Uhm, the chicken alfredo with penne pasta, thanks," he answered hurriedly, handing the menu to Riku.

"Mmkay," Riku hummed as she scribbled the order down on his notepad. "What did you think I meant?"

Sora paled, again. "Nothing…"

"Sure thing," Riku laughed and then paused when Kairi returned. The girl took her seat and looked to Riku kindly. "What can I get for you, miss?"

"Spaghetti and meatballs is fine," Kairi answered, closing her menu. She handed it to Riku who graciously took it. Her gaze wandered between Riku and Sora for a long moment. She felt like she was missing something. She held her tongue and reached for her drink, not wanting to intrude on anything that she had missed.

"I'll put those orders right in," Riku said, closing the notepad. Before walking off, he looked to Sora. And the brunet could have _sworn_ the silveret tossed a wink at him. No, he was just imagining things. People like _Riku_ just had to be straight. That just was the way things were…right?

"Sora, is something wrong?" Kairi questioned, looking to her friend worriedly. Sora's face had gone from tan to ghostly pale within seconds. When she received no answer, the girl reached out and placed her hand nervously on her friend's.

"Huh?" Sora snapped out of his reveries and looked to Kairi. "Huh? Oh, I'm fine. Nothing's wrong."

"All right…" Kairi trailed off and sat back, returning to drinking her lemonade. After a moment, though, she spoke again. "So, that guy. Do you know him from somewhere? You looked extremely surprised when he came over here."

"Yeah, I met him once or twice," Sora admitted, lowering his gaze. _And I have this stupid teenage crush on him despite the fact I barely know him._

"Oh. He seems nice," Kairi began and then trailed off. She leaned closer and whispered, "He is _so_ hot. My god, he looks like a damn model."

Sora blushed hotly. "I know."

"You know?" Kairi sat back and arched a brow. Wasn't Sora supposed to yell at her for talking about other guys? Or wasn't he supposed to groan at how hormonal girls were? Nope, nothing of the sort came from the brunet. Just an agreement. Kairi was bewildered.

"Er…." Sora gulped. _Damnit…_

"You think he's hot too?" She stared skeptically at her friend. She opened her mouth to say something else but shut it firmly. A knowing stare came over her. "_Oooh_." She grinned deviously and knitted her hands together on the table innocently. "I should have known," a cheery laugh, "I kinda suspected you were ever since the beginning of this year. But this just confirms it. Oh Sora, why didn't you ever tell me?"

"Wait, you thought I was?!" he whispered harshly, eyes widening to the size of saucers. "Kairi! I'm…not that obvious." He lowered his gaze. "And I didn't tell you because you make fun of that other guy at school."

"Sora, I only make fun of him because he's an idiot. I don't make fun of him because he's gay," she whispered quietly, looking to her friend weakly. "Sora, I don't care _what_ you like. You're my best friend. Nothing will change just because you like hot boys like our waiter." She snickered a bit. It was all in good nature, though.

Sora groaned and averted his gaze. "Please don't tell him."

"I won't," Kairi assured, sitting back up yet again. "I think it's tragically cute." Pause. "And I must say, you have excellence taste." Another pause. "Does this mean I can drag you shopping now?"

"No," Sora said bluntly. "Just because I like guys doesn't mean I love shopping," he murmured under his breath. "I'm not feminine, sorry."

"Sorry," Kairi stated and leaned her cheek into her palm. "Thanks for not denying it," she began quietly, looking to her friend with a tender look. "I'm glad that you could trust me with this."

"No problem," Sora answered with a nervous smile.

"But you do know that now I'm going to try to get you and him together, right?"

Sora paled. Damn Kairi… "…of course."

xXx • xXx

**I**t was May first and Sora had known Riku for exactly a month. The brunet only spoke to the silveret once, and that was at the restaurant. And as irony dictated, his mother just _had_ to drag him and Selphie to Charlie's for dinner that night. Part of Sora hoped that they would get Riku as a waiter, and half of him didn't. He wasn't sure if he could keep from saying something stupid. Regardless of his vacillation, Sora allowed Selphie to drag him by the sleeve towards a booth on the opposite side of the room where he and Kairi had sat a week prior. The soft, tan colors blended together in his vision as he zoned out, slightly. What if Riku wasn't working? What if he was straight? Oh dear god.

"Sora, pay attention," Sophie stated as she slipped into the booth, motioning for her daughter to sit with her. Selphie quickly climbed into the black booth and slid down to sit beside her mother, smiling widely.

"Oh, right," Sora murmured as he snapped out of his daze. The brunet quickly took a seat and began to toy with the hem of his shirt uneasily. That wink Riku had shot him the last time he saw him…was that a sign? The boy mentally groaned at his assumptions. Riku was gorgeous. He probably was dating super models.

"Why if it isn't my favorite customers."

Sora's gaze shot up and quickly locked with aquamarine eyes. He gulped upon instinct and buried his face again in his menu. Oh right, he was here with his mother, that wasn't a good thing. She had a tendency of embarrassing him beyond his wits. Sora could only predict the things the woman would say to the striking waiter.

"Why hello there," Sophie answered, lifting her gaze. She shot Riku a sparkling display of teeth before lacing her hands together on top of the menu. "I didn't know you worked here as well. You're quite the busy beaver."

Riku snorted in amusement. His gaze wandered over to Sora for a moment, lingering there before going back to the boy's mother. "What can I say? Life is expensive."

Sophie nodded profusely and looked over at Selphie. "Hunny, what do you want to drink?" Selphie murmured something quietly and Sophie repeated it. "She'll have water and I'll have an iced tea, please."

"Can do," Riku answered, writing that down. He glanced over at Sora. "And what can I get for you?"

Sora looked over to Riku, noting the unmistakable sparkle in his eyes. Okay, so maybe this crush wasn't completely pointless. "Pepsi will be good."

"Of course." He shot Sora a smirk before heading away from the table.

Sophie cocked a brow. "He's a sweet boy…" she began, glancing over the menu. "It's a shame that he's in college. I'm sure he would have been a wonderful friend to have in school."

Sora had to agree on that. He kept quiet, though, and pretended to be absorbed in the menu. His mind spun. He needed to actually have a true conversation with Riku again. But how? The other always seemed to be working! And Sora didn't want to appear creepy and stalk the poor guy. The brunet mentally groaned at his situation. Why did he randomly have to fall for some random guy that always waited on him? It was true, regardless.

Riku came back after a few moments and handed out the drinks. After writing up the orders, Sora's mother and Selphie disappeared to the bathroom to wash their hands before dinner. And Riku surely noticed their departure and Sora's absence. The silveret wandered back over to the table and promptly took a seat across from Sora.

The brunet quickly looked up and blinked. "Riku?" he asked curiously, arching a brow.

"Yup, that's me," the silveret chuckled as he watched Sora with twinkling aquamarine eyes; "I've been seeing a lot of you this month."

"Well…today's May so technically…" Sora wanted to smack himself for that one. Why the hell was he correcting Riku?! Was he trying to be _funny_? It wasn't working. The brunet winced at how stupid he had just sounded.

"That's very true," Riku agreed, his eyes never falling from Sora. "Well, I have to get back to work. I'll be back when your food is out."

Sora smiled and nodded. He watched as the silveret got up from the table. However, before doing such, he reached into his pocket. His hand emerged with a small napkin. The teenager passed it to Sora, smirked, and then headed off into the depths of the restaurant, carrying himself like any other model would. Sora blushed softly as he watched the other leave. Carefully, he began unfolding the napkin. On the inside was handwriting. And not just any handwriting…

_Call me sometime. 705-5358_

Sora's heart did a summersault as his cheeks burned hotly. He pocketed the number and quickly returned to staring out the small window next to his booth. Breathe in and out, in and out. He had just received Riku's _number_. Out of nowhere! This was too good to be true. Sora remained smiling as his mother and sister returned. And the brunet continued smiling all throughout dinner, especially when Riku randomly cave over to check up on them. Their gazes met and Sora could have sworn that he saw the slightest glimmer of seduction in the older's eyes. Nah…it couldn't be.

Could it?

xXx • xXx

"**I**'m…going to call him," Sora decided, holding the phone weakly in his hands. He sat on his bed, cross-legged, beside his best friend who was staring intently at the phone. Both their eyes remained on the screen, watching the black digits with intense focus. However, when Sora had not made a move to press the green 'call' button, Kairi snorted in irritation.

"Just call him already!" Kairi urged.

"I'm trying! These things take time!" Sora responded quickly, holding his cell phone greedily out of Kairi's reach. His blue eyes wandered back down to the screen with a mental sigh. What if Riku was busy? What if he was making out with some hot girl and Sora's call would interrupt that?! Oh god. So many bad things could happen from a simple phone call.

"Sora…" Kairi stated in a deathly serious tone. "If you don't call him right now I'm going to get my own cell phone out and do it myself."

Sora paled. "Fine!"

His thumb clicked the green button. He stared in fright as the message 'calling' appeared. With a gulp, Sora lifted the phone to his ear. He chewed on his bottom lip as he let it ring. The teenager was about to hang up and give up entirely on the fourth ring. However, before he could do such, someone answered.

"Hello?"

And it was _his_ voice.

"Hi!" Sora said a bit too quickly and loudly. He flinched.

"Who's this?" Riku questioned, sounding a bit confused.

"Sora," he stated quickly and then interjected, "the guy from the restaurant and grocery store and yeah."

Kairi smirked a bit and continued listening in. A wide smile was written across her face as she watched her best friend's face turn twenty shades of red from just being on the phone with the guy. She didn't dare to think how dark red Sora would be if the guy was actually kissing him. Oh god, that'd be quite the sight, she thought happily.

"Oh, Sora," Riku stated nonchalantly, "Hey, how are you?"

"I'm good, you?"

"Wonderful, thanks. What's up?"

"Nothing much, just hanging out…You?"

"Same. Just got off work."

"Charlie's?"

"You betcha. You gonna come to Stop and Shop this weekend? I don't think I'd be able to stand not seeing your cute face for another week and a half."

Sora blushed profusely and coughed. "Uhm…we should be going," he said quietly. His gaze met Kairi's and his heart plummeted a bit. Oh, she knew something was up. His heart dropped further when Kairi reached over and stole the phone from him. "Kairi!" he screeched as his lifeline to the beautiful silveret was wrenched away from him. Lovely.

"Hello, Riku?" Kairi questioned, swatting away Sora's flailing arms.

"Yeah, who's this?"

"Kairi, Sora's friend," she explained softly. "I have a question for you. Don't get pissed at me or Sora for asking, okay? I'm just curious by nature and I usually ask absurd questions like this, okay? So please answer. I'm highly curious."

Sora paled further. "What's the question?" Riku asked.

"Are you gay?"

Sora could be heard growling out his friend's name and screeching in agony. Riku smirked. "Why do you ask?"

Oh, tricky. "Because," Kairi stated with a giggle, fighting off Sora easily.

"Because what?" He cocked a brow.

Kairi's laughs continued entering the phone. "Because I'm curious. So please answer the question before Sora murders me. I don't want to die not knowing!" she cooed jokingly, dancing around the room to keep the phone away from Sora. Her laughing never ceased as Sora continued chasing after her, his skin the shade of a ripe tomato.

"Yeah, I am," Riku answered rather simply.

"Great!" Kairi chirped and stopped racing around. Sora ran into her and fell to the ground. He hadn't been expecting the girl to just stop. However, her statement brought Sora's attention back to reality.

"Great?" Riku and Sora asked at the same time.

"Are you single?" Kairi questioned quickly.

"Uh…yeah, I am?" Riku stated a bit hesitantly.

"Even better!" Kairi exclaimed happily. She lunged onto Sora's bed and rested her head against the pillow. She smirked over at the brunet who was sending her daggers. Was she trying to hit on Riku or something? This didn't make any sense. Sora just wished that he could hear Riku's end of the conversation. _His_ conversation. Well, what was supposed to be his, anyway.

"Why is that even better?" Riku interrogated, sounding completely lost.

"Are you busy this Friday night?"

"Uhm…" Pause. "I get out of work at five, why?"

Kairi smirked evilly. "Would you object to taking Sora out on a date at…oh around seven to the movies?"

Sora felt his entire world flip upside down. "Kairi!" he screamed, lunging for the phone again. He tackled the girl and began grabbing for the phone. Kairi, who was having fits of giggles, gladly handed over the phone to the brunet. Sora murmured something to himself and quickly got off his best friend and stood up, his body shaking from what Kairi had asked.

"I'd love to," Riku said into the phone, directed towards Kairi. However, Sora was the one to hear it. He promptly allowed the phone to fall out of his grasp. Quickly, though, he collected it before it could crash onto the ground and break.

"Y-you would?" Sora slurred, his heart racing incredibly fast as he stared at his wall in disbelief.

"Oh, hey again, Sora," Riku stated casually.

"H-hi…"

"And yeah. I'd love to take you out on a date. I'll meet you there at seven, okay? We can decide what movie when we get there."

Sora's mind went a bit numb. "Really?" he repeated.

"Yeah, really."

"Awesome!" Sora cooed and looked to Kairi excitedly. "I'll see you then! Bye, Riku!"

"Bye, cutie." And he promptly hung up.

Sora held the phone for a long moment, smiling widely at the wall. Kairi sat up and began asking questions as to what happened. When Sora didn't answer, the girl padded over to him and continued questioning. It wasn't until Sora fell to the ground did she realize that the poor boy had fainted. And she couldn't help but laugh quietly before rushing to wake him up. Oh Sora.

xXx • xXx

"**S**o…"

Sora nervously laced his hands together in his lap. He and Riku were sitting in the back row. He had expected the silveret to pick somewhere else to sit but here they were, in the prime makeout seats, on a _date_. Riku had even offered to pay for their tickets! Sora had denied such a suggestion but Riku insisted and ended up paying for the pair of them. And here they were…on a date. On a date. Sora's heart thrashed fretfully as he tried his best to remain calm and casual.

"You look really pale," Riku noted, glancing over at Sora with a frown. The silveret's hair, for the first time ever, was down and cascaded beautifully onto the very top of his shoulders. His emerald eyes sparkled in the dim movie theater light, causing Sora's eyes to constantly wander back to the silveret. He was sinfully handsome.

"I do?" Sora repeated. He lifted a gaze to his cheek and gave it a quick rub. "I dunno why."

"Of course," Riku chuckled. He leaned back in the seat and glanced to the black movie screen. "So, why didn't you ask me out yourself? You chicken?" he teased, glancing over at Sora with a devilish smirk on his face.

"It was totally Kairi's idea!" Sora explained quickly. "She just grabbed my phone and Bam! Here we are…" He trailed off. "You didn't just say yes because you didn't want to be rude, right."

"I gave you my number," Riku explained logically, looking to Sora. "Didn't that mean something." He smirked still.

"Uhm…" Sora pondered about that for a moment. "Kind of?"

"I want to get to know you better," Riku explained promptly, watching Sora. His gaze never faltered. "And a date sounds like a wonderful way to start. I've seen you on and off for a month now, and I would have asked you on a date myself, but you seemed so damn flustered and shy that I was a bit afraid I'd scare you off. Or that you were just a nervous straight boy who didn't like talking to other guys."

Sora laughed a bit at that. It was kinda true. "So we're both basically dumb."

"Maybe," Riku chuckled and leaned over. He gently kissed Sora's cheek. "So, this is a date," he reasoned.

"Yep," Sora whispered his body shivering. "A date with an unbelievably hot and sweet guy…"

"Who, you?" Riku hummed, dangerously close to the brunet. Their eyes met and Sora knew, deep down, that this was the man he wanted to date and spend so many nights with. He blushed and closed his eyes, trying not to let those thoughts get to him. He couldn't!

"No, you," Sora answered quietly nervously opening his eyes again. He met beautiful sea green and he fell silent once more.

"Wanna be my boyfriend? I promise I won't be a pervert," he reasoned with a soft smile. "I want to have a reason to skip work and hang out with you." He grinned rather honestly.

Sora felt his heart flutter at the statement. "You'd want to date _me_?" Blink.

"Yeah, I wouldn't have said anything if I meant otherwise." He continued smiling.

"I…uhm, sure," he said quickly, cheeks the color of his dark red wristband. "I'd love to!...Yeah."

"Wonderful," Riku stated quietly as the lights dimmed and the movie began. His arm slipped around Sora's waist and tugged him closer, glad that the arm rests in these rows were already up and out of the way. He held the brunet again his side and began watching the movie, completely at ease.

Sora blushed the entire time, leaning his head nervously against his boyfriend's shoulder. And he felt so damn at home right in his arms. This was nice. This could work.

xXx • xXx

"**Y**ou smell like burger," Sora noted as he glanced up from his AP Calculus book as Riku sat down on his bed.

"I was just at work, of course I do," Riku chuckled, rolling his eyes. He peered down at the book Sora was reading. "Damn, I hated that class," he admitted, looking over the problems. "Sorry you have to go through that, Sora."

"Bah. Who cares," the brunet responded. He gently closed the book and set it on the bureau beside him. He offered his boyfriend a smile and then innocently leaned his back against the headboard. "Finals are next week."

"Yeah, you told me before," Riku answered, leaning against the other side of the headboard. His aquamarine eyes watched Sora amusedly. "You gonna pass or fail, shortie?"

"Pass, for certain," the brunet answered with a wide grin.

Riku nodded and gingerly took Sora's hand in his own. "You know, Sora. It's one month day that I asked you to be my boyfriend," he hummed nonchalantly, toying with the fingers.

Sora blushed. "That so?" He looked over and smiled warmly at Riku. Over the past month, not only had Sora dated the silveret, but he had become amazingly comfortable around the other boy. He had learned so much about him. His likes, dislikes, attitude, and whatnot. Sora had, simply, begun the slow trip of falling in love. It wasn't love yet, he knew, but he knew it was headed there sooner or later. He was just too…perfect for him.

"Indeed it is," Riku hummed and brushed his thumb along the back of Sora's hand. "The first month of many to come," he went on to say, eyes closing in relaxation.

"Hell yes," Sora laughed quietly. He looked over at his boyfriend, smiling at how at peace he was. "I told my mom the other day. She's happy for me. She's keeping it a secret from Selphie, though. She doesn't think Selphie's ready to learn about that stuff yet."

Riku nodded and tightened his hold on Sora's hand. "I'm glad."

"Me too," Sora breathed. He closed his eyes as well. "We still going to the movies later tonight?"

"Mhm," Riku answered. "But, we have a few hours before that…"

Sora opened his eyes and glanced over. "Oh really?"

"Oh yes." Riku leaned over and kissed Sora simply, allowing the pleasure to dance along both their bodies.

"Wanna…dine in and watch a movie here?" Sora whispered, eyes shutting as he massaged his lips against Riku's, clinging closely. It felt so happy, peaceful, and _right_. It was amazing how a month of dating could make him so at peace with the silveret. They were more than boyfriends now—they were best friends.

"Of course," Riku stated with a smile as he deepened the kiss, ultimately deepening their connection.

And Sora wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

**(:**  
review, please?  
( i need a beta that's on all the time...)


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